[ad_1]
For West Indies, hope springs eternal. On Sunday, it took the shape of a lithe fast bowler sprinting in, stealing edges, bamboozling stumps and setting off on a victory run that triggered a spontaneous outpouring of sentiment that West Indies cricket is still alive and kicking.
Caribbean people are not known to be very emotional. But when something moves Brian Lara and Carl Hooper to tears, you know it’s special. All because 24-year-old Shamar Joseph chose this day to perform a miracle with a near-fractured toe, snaring seven wickets to deliver an eight-run win, West Indies’ first in Australia since 1997 and their first against Australia since 2003.
That it came at the Gabba of all places, where Australia never lost in over 32 years but have been defeated in two Tests out of four since 2021, shouldn’t be lost on West Indies, who, incidentally, were the last side to win at that venue before that, in late 1988. But in the bigger picture of West Indies slowly slipping into cricketing oblivion while not qualifying for back-to-back World Cups, could this win be the catalyst for a change into something bigger, something greater? Perhaps.
Orchestrator of this fervent dream is Joseph, a farm boy from Baracara who till a few years back was content bowling with a tape ball or fruit in a humble Guyanese village, which with no colour TV or internet was virtually in a time warp. A construction job in the city didn’t work out for him and a subsequent job as security guard meant he didn’t have time for cricket.
But Joseph is athletic, quick and has an insatiable appetite for bowling long spells. Which is why his only plea to West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite on Sunday was to keep him going “till the last wicket falls”.
Slight problem — Joseph was nursing a suspected broken toe courtesy a yorker from Mitchell Starc on Day 3 of the pink ball Test.
“I wasn’t even coming out to the ground this morning to be fair. I must give a shout-out to the doctor,” Joseph told the broadcaster after the riveting finish.
“He is an amazing doctor to me. He told me to come to the ground for a reason, even if it’s just to support the guys. But I came and he did something to my toe. I don’t know what he did but something worked. So, I just had that time to go out there and bowl and bring this game home for my team.”
The odds were heavily in favour of Australia. Never before had they lost a pink ball Test at home. Eight wickets in hand and 156 runs to go with Steve Smith —who remained unbeaten on 91 —anchoring one end, there was no reason to believe Australia would mess up this chase. But Joseph, playing only his second Test, bowled 11.5 overs on the trot, getting quicker every over. Smith was being Smith, displaying nerves of steel and a staggering range of shots that kept Australia in the hunt despite losing wickets at regular intervals.
A length ball from Joseph spat from good length, ricocheted off Cameron Green’s elbow and disturbed his stumps. Travis Head couldn’t keep out the next ball fired at the blockhole at almost 150kph, Mitchell Marsh edged a ball which straightened after pitching at a back of the length and Alex Carey was bowled through the gate trying to drive Joseph.
With the specialist batters dismissed cheaply, Australia’s lower order gave Smith some company before it all came down to last man Josh Hazlewood facing Joseph. Coming around the wicket, Joseph straightened the ball just enough to castle his off-stump and wheel away into a celebratory run West Indies cricket will remember for a very long time.
Ask Joseph and he was still not done running, bowling and winning for West Indies. “I am not that tired because I wanted to do this for my team,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how my toes are, I’m okay. I did it for him (skipper Kraigg Brathwaite) and I am happy that he is proud of me now.”
[ad_2]
Source link